Variable recoil mechanism for guns



1933- E. c. GOEBERT ET AL 1,898,039

VARIABLE RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Jan. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Elmer CJImEhErt J TTORNEY 1933- E. c. GOEBERT ET AL VARIABLE RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Jan. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Gnehert Elmer [I hczmas A.Enn

BY T

ATTORNEY I Feb. 21, 1933.

E. c. GOEBERT ET AL ,8

VARIABLE RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Jan. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lllllllll INVENTORS Elmer E- Guahert Thumas Aficmlun A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1933 ELMEE C. GOEBERT, OF THE AND TEOMAS IBHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

MARYLAND VARIABLE Bacon. MECHANISM FOR GUNS Application filed January 4, 1932. Serial No. 584,610.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30,

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a variable recoil mechanism for guns.

The principle objects of the present invention are to provide a strong and compact variable recoil mechanism that will operate without frequent adjustment and repair and that may conveniently be controlled by a cam and lever arrangement to provide a variable length of recoil between certain angles of elevation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of partsand in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A ractical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a gun equipped with the improved recoil mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the breech end of the gun.

' Fig. 3 is a transverse longitudinal sectional view through the recoil mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec tional view through the front I end of the regulator.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on the respective line of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 7 is a detail view in side elevation and partly in section of the throttling-bar showing the goove for long recoil.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. ing the groove for long recoil. Fig. 9' is a sectional view on of Fig. 7. g

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the regulator.

7 and showthe line 9-9 Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the regulator. V I

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 1212 of Fig. 14

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11. r 1 I Fig; 14: is a sectional view on the line IP14 of Fig. 11.

Referring of reference v There is shown a cradle 4: carrying a reciprocal gun'barrel 5 and provided with plates 6 having trunnions mounted for movement in elevation on a top carriageS. Centrally of the cradle there is a fixed cylinder 9 (Fig. and a piston 10 movable in the cylinder is attached to the gun lug 11 in the usual manner so that it is retracted on recoil *of the gun to force a fluid suchas oil from the cylinder 9 into an adjoining cylinder 12. The two cylinders are in communication through the port 13.

to the drawings by characters 7 whereby the cradle is The recoil mechanism in the cylinder 12.

consists essentially of a tubular regulator l t in which is movably mounted a throttling bar 15 carried bya floating piston 16. The

rear end of the regulator 14 is seated against the rear cylinder head 17 and is secured on the forward end of a shaft 18 passing through the cylinder head and embraced by suitable packing 19. The shaft is provided with an axial passage 20 and a valve 21 to provide for introducing a fluid into the system.

' The forward endvof the regulator 14 (Fig.

4) is seated against an internal flange 22 on a sleeve or liner 23 fitting closely in the cylinder 12. The rear end of the liner extends over a portion of the rear cylinder head (Fig.

3) and is held against forward displacement by means of a collar 24 engaging a shoulder 25 of the cylinder and may also be threaded to the cylinder as at 26. i

An annular flange 27 providing a valve seat. 28 is formed on the regulator a short distance in rear of the forward end thereof. The external diameterof the flangeis less than the internal diameter of the liner in order to pro- 7 vide a passage29 the regulator-between its forward extremity in the wall of for the fluid in the system. A. valve30 is normally held againstthe valve V is provided and the valve seat 28. Grooves 34-34 (Fig. 11) in the'inner wall of the regulator each terminate at a front port 35 and rear port 36.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 9 the throttling bar externally with a plurality of grooves. One set of grooves 37 is engaged by keys 38 on the flange 22 of the sleeve or liner 23 and this arrangement serves to prevent rotation of the throttling bar as it moves in the regulator. Another set of extending over rear while the remaining set of extending along the front half of the bar decreases in depth from front to rear. The grooves 39 and 40 serve as fluid passages to conduct fluid from the ports 33 in the regulator past the front extremity of theregulator and vice versa. bevel gear 41 on the projecting end of the shaft 18 meshes with a pinion 42 on a shaft 43mounted in a casing 44 that houses the gears and is attached to the cradle4. On the outer end of the'shaft 43 is, a lever 45 carrying a roller 46 adapted to move in a cam groove 47 (Figs..1 and 2) formed in a plate 48 secured to the top carriage 8. The end portions of the cam groove are formed on different radii from the axis of the trunnion, the portion 49 being on a larger radius than the portion 50. The intermediate portion 51 is. formed on varying radii.

'When the degrees there is substantially no action on the lever 45 and the regulator is so positioned (Fig. 4) that the ports 33 are available to the grooves 39 ofthe throttling bar and a long recoil stroke will be obtained when the gun is fired.' Between +20 and +45 degrees the lever 45 will be rotated and acting through the gears 4142 will rotate the regulator and will decrease the area of .the grooves '39 available to the ports 33 and will consequently decrease the lengthof recoil. Beyond an elevation of +45 degrees the grooves 40 alone will be opento the ports 33. and the recoil will be reduced to the'minimum.

The operation ofthe recoil mechanism is always the same irrespective of-the adjustment between the regulator and throttling 'bar.. When the gun is fired it moves to the rear in recoil and retracts the piston 10 which forces the fluid in the cylinder 9 through the port 13 and into the cylinder 12. The fluid under pressure unseats the valve 30, flows through the ports 33, and isthrottled through the grooves 3940. either or both, depending on the adjustment. The fluid on fluid and withdraw the throttling bar from the regulator. When the parts are brought to rest the compressed fluid reacts on the floating piston and: in restoring it, causes the grooves 39, practically the entire length of the bar, increases in depth from front to grooves 40 tion the ports therein in gun is elevated between0+20 the throttling bar.

y throttling bar against rotation, a short and fluid in rear thereof to be throttled back and, occupies some of the space formerly occupied by the throttling bar.

During the return or counterrecoil stroke this fluid is driven out of the regulator by the throttling bar and as it must escape through the ports 35 and 36 this action serves as a check or bufl'er.

We claim.

1. In a recoil mechanism a cylinder, a liner in the cylinder having an internal flange on its forward'end, a tubular regulator within the liner andspaced therefrom, ports in the regulator in rear of the'front' end thereof, a valve seat on the regulator in rear :of the ports, a valve fitting in the liner and normally .seated against the valve seat, a floating piston in the cylinder. in front of the liner, a throttling bar attached to the. floating piston and insertable in the regulator, means on the flange of the liner for holding the throttling bar against rotation, a short and a long groove in the throttling bar, andmeans for rotating the regulator to posia predetermined relation to the grooves in the throttling bar. 2. In a recoil mechanism, a cylinder, a liner in the cylinder having an internal flange on its forward end, a tubular regulator within the liner and spaced therefrom, ports-in the regulator in rear of the front end thereof, a valve seat, on the regulator in rear of the ports, a valve fitting in the liner andnormallylseated against the valve seat, a floating piston inthe cylinder in front of the liner, a. throttling bar attached to the, float ing piston and insertable in the regulator,

means on the flange of the liner for holding the throttling bar against rotation, grooves in the throttling bar, and means for rotating the regulator to position the ports therein in a predetermined relation to the grooves in In a recoil mechanism, a cylinder, a tubular regulator within the cylinder and spaced therefrom, ports in the regulator adjacent itsfront end, a valve seat on the regulator in rear of the ports, a valvefitting in the cylinder and normally seating against the valve seat, a floating piston in the cylinder in front of the regulator, a throttling bar attached to the floating pistonand insertable inthe regulator, means for holdin'gthe a long groove in the throttling bar, and means for rotating'the regulator to position the v ports therein in a predetermined relation to 7 the grooves in'the throttling bar. x v

In a recoil mechanism, a cylinder,-a

tubular regulator within the cylinder and spaced therefrom, ports in the regulator adjacent its front end, a valve seat on the regulator in rear of the ports, a valve fitting in the cylinder and normally seated against the valve seat, a floating piston in the cylinder in front of the regulator, a throttling bar attached to the floating piston and insertable in the regulator, means for holding the throttling bar against rotation, grooves in the throttling bar, and means for rotating the regulator to position the ports therein in a predetermined relation to the grooves in the throttling bar.

5. In a recoil mechanism, a cylinder, a head for the cylinder, a shaft passing through the head and having means for admitting a fluid into the cylinder, a tubular regulator secured to the shaft, a throttling bar movable in the regulator, and means for rotating the shaft and regulator.

6. In a recoil mechanism, a tubular regulator having ports and a throttling bar movable in the regulator and having a short groove decreasing in depth from front to rear and a long groove increasing in depth from front to rear.

7. In a gun, a support, a cradle trunnioned in the support, a gear casing on the cradle, an element of a recoil mechanism extending from the cradle and through the casing, a gear Wheel on said element, a shaft journaled in the casing, a pinion on one end of the shaft meshing with the gear Wheel, a lever on the other end of the shaft, a plate carried by the support, and a cam groove in the plate for receiving the lever, said cam groove terminating in end portions each formed on a different radius from the cradle trunnions.

ELMER C. GOEBERT. THOMAS A. CONLON. 

